Latest updates and developments related to E-Commerce and Internet (especially in Malaysia).

Monday, May 07, 2007

Firms use cyber thugs to attack competitors

New phenomena in the online businesses. Just like watching some movies where successful businessman with the background support of the gangsters - now legitimate firms are using cyber thugs or criminals to sabotage their rival websites.

Using DDoS (Distributed Denial of Services), the attacks attempted to knock down the rival websites by sending floods of data. DDoS is where the attackers gain illegal administrative access to as many computers on the Internet as possible and use the multiple computers to send flood of data packets to the target computer with the aim of overloading it.

Some extortion rackets are using this methods especially on online gaming sites.

BBC News reported that the number of extortion-based attacks had declined but the application of cyber criminal by companies to attack their rivals are in the rise - a new phenomena called anti-competitive behaviour.

Talking about fair-play and equal chances in the online business environment? Be careful, some big brothers are watching over you.